Innovation Ecosystemstag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1858712019-01-21T13:14:56-05:00Accelerating Innovation for a Better WorldTypePadInnovation Scorecard Announced. Estonia, Switzerland and Finland outscore US.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e2022ad3d3fe92200b2019-01-21T13:14:56-05:002019-01-21T13:17:47-05:00The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced at their mega CES2019 event in Las Vegas that 16 out of 61 countries are leading the world in having the best environment for innovation according to its new 2019 International Innovation Scorecard. This year's Innovation Champions are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. During the CTA keynote, the Netherlands' State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Mona Keijzer, the U.K.'s Secretary of State for International Trade Dr. Liam Fox and Estonia's Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps joined Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, onstage to accept the Innovation Champion awards on behalf of their countries. "These countries are world-class leaders in growing innovation," said Shapiro. "When it comes to technology and policy, they value disruptive innovators. To be leaders in innovation, nations must drop protectionist rules and end barriers that limit them from creating the next great startups that will change the world for the better." The new Innovation Champions include first-time honorees Germany and Israel. Germany climbed into the highest tier thanks to improved new business growth and widespread access to telecommunications and online services. In Israel, over half (51.5 percent) of its workforce is employed in high-skilled jobs, almost half (46.8 percent) of its college students earn degrees in STEM fields — second only to Singapore – and 4.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) goes toward research and development (R&D), more than any other country on the Scorecard. Overall, Innovation Champions typically outperform other countries in measures of Freedom, Broadband, Entrepreneurial Activity, Resiliency – a new category to quantify the degree to which a country's government and society are sustainable – and Self-Driving Vehicles. The International Innovation Scorecard is a comparative analysis across 14 different categories including average broadband speeds, sharing economy policies, adoption of self-driving vehicles, drone regulations and the ability of a country to withstand and recover from disasters. For more information visit www.internationalscorecard.com.Egils Milbergs

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced at their mega CES2019 event in Las Vegas that 16 out of 61 countries are leading the world in having the best environment for innovation according to its new 2019 International Innovation Scorecard. This year's Innovation Champions are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

During the CTA keynote, the Netherlands' State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Mona Keijzer, the U.K.'s Secretary of State for International Trade Dr. Liam Fox and Estonia's Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps joined Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, onstage to accept the Innovation Champion awards on behalf of their countries.

"These countries are world-class leaders in growing innovation," said Shapiro. "When it comes to technology and policy, they value disruptive innovators. To be leaders in innovation, nations must drop protectionist rules and end barriers that limit them from creating the next great startups that will change the world for the better."

The new Innovation Champions include first-time honorees Germany and Israel. Germany climbed into the highest tier thanks to improved new business growth and widespread access to telecommunications and online services. In Israel, over half (51.5 percent) of its workforce is employed in high-skilled jobs, almost half (46.8 percent) of its college students earn degrees in STEM fields — second only to Singapore – and 4.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) goes toward research and development (R&D), more than any other country on the Scorecard.

Overall, Innovation Champions typically outperform other countries in measures of Freedom, Broadband, Entrepreneurial Activity, Resiliency – a new category to quantify the degree to which a country's government and society are sustainable – and Self-Driving Vehicles.

The International Innovation Scorecard is a comparative analysis across 14 different categories including average broadband speeds, sharing economy policies, adoption of self-driving vehicles, drone regulations and the ability of a country to withstand and recover from disasters. For more information visit www.internationalscorecard.com.

Lab to Market Ideas for Increasing ROI of Federal R&Dtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e2022ad3af650f200d2019-01-13T18:04:58-05:002019-01-13T18:04:58-05:00As part of its "Return on Investment" initiative, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a draft blueprint for revamping policies that govern the commercialization of technologies produced through federally funded R&D projects ($150 billion a year). The Return on Investment (ROI) Initiative for Unleashing American Innovation is part of a Trump Administration effort to advance the Lab-to-Market cross agency priority (CAP) goal of the President's Management Agenda (PMA). The ROI Initiative's goal is to maximize the transfer of Federal investments in science and technology into value for America in ways that will (a) meet current and future economic and national security needs in a rapidly shifting technology marketplace and enhance U.S. competitiveness globally, and (b) attract greater private sector investment to create innovative products, processes, and services, as well as new businesses and industries. NIST released a Green Paper described as a "discussion document," the report summarizes input received from external stakeholders during the first phase of the initiative and outlines 15 "intended actions" for improving the federal technology transfer system, many of which would require legislative or regulatory action to implement. Unleashing American Innovation Symposium Four main Public Forums totaled 341 registered attendees ( Meetings Slides May 17-31 ) 104 written submissions received in response to Request for Information, representing thousands of stakeholders. Return on Investment Initiative, Draft Green Paper, December 2018Egils Milbergs

As part of its "Return on Investment" initiative, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a draft blueprint for revamping policies that govern the commercialization of technologies produced through federally funded R&D projects ($150 billion a year).

The Return on Investment (ROI) Initiative for Unleashing American Innovation is part of a Trump Administration effort to advance the Lab-to-Market cross agency priority (CAP) goal of the President's Management Agenda (PMA). The ROI Initiative's goal is to maximize the transfer of Federal investments in science and technology into value for America in ways that will (a) meet current and future economic and national security needs in a rapidly shifting technology marketplace and enhance U.S. competitiveness globally, and (b) attract greater private sector investment to create innovative products, processes, and services, as well as new businesses and industries. NIST released a Green Paper described as a "discussion document," the report summarizes input received from external stakeholders during the first phase of the initiative and outlines 15 "intended actions" for improving the federal technology transfer system, many of which would require legislative or regulatory action to implement.

Orca Mom Sends a Messagetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e2022ad368d6ce200c2018-09-05T15:59:24-04:002018-09-05T15:59:24-04:00The vigil for Tahlequah, the mother orca who carried her dead calf around for days, is a message and a call to action. Scientists have concluded that a large part of the blame for the decline in orca population and related salmon runs lies in the water quality of Puget Sound—contaminants, toxic chemicals and noise. Healthy water means we must have a healthy water infrastructure. The fact is our water infrastructure is under stress. It is aging and not keeping up with a fast-growing population, extreme weather events, waste discharges, stormwater runoff, new contaminants, vessel traffic, earthquake risks and cyberattacks. Our economic dynamism is also at stake. About one-third of Puget Sound economic output and jobs are water dependent. It is estimated that $23 billion of water infrastructure projects are on the books but financing this investment is unclear. We are at an inflection point-- we pursue incremental improvements or begin to reimagine a new kind of water infrastructure. We should think, plan and manage water in all its forms as ONE WATER. The water infrastructure needs to be holistically managed and technology better aligned with the natural watershed and hydrological cycle. Water should be treated as a resource rather than waste—zero discharge, recycled and used again and again. High energy cost water treatment systems should be redesigned to be more efficient and even generate energy. Nutrients should be recovered from wastewater and be a source of revenue (e.g. fertilizer). Smaller and distributed water treatment systems boost resilience to extreme weather and disasters. Rainwater should be managed where it lands through green infrastructure, rain gardens, pervious pavement. Real time field sensors can help make predictive control decisions for water storage, treatment and flows. Cloud based systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning and visualization can enhance decision-making. Water DNA can be cheaply analyzed to detect harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxic algae and sources of contamination. Urban vertical greenhouses can reduce water requirements by 90-95%. What's holding us back? It turns out that innovation is difficult in the water sector and faces significant barriers. Cost of failure is high. Water operators are inherently conservative in considering innovation and focus more on regulatory compliance, established practices and service reliability. There is little incentive to be an early adopter. Legacy Constraints. Water infrastructure lasts a long time so opportunities to innovate do not emerge very often. The tendency is to extend the life of existing infrastructure. Fragmented Data. An enormous volume of water data is collected by government agencies. However, the data is balkanized, difficult to access and non-interoperable, diminishing its utility. Regulatory Risk. Water technologies can be stalled by multiple regulatory requirements, approval delays, litigation, adverse publicity or eventual stoppage. Regulations should encourage innovation and not be a barrier to it. Workforce Gap. Water operators face a retirement wave and need to recruit a workforce that is technologically trained, sophisticated and savvy. Legislative Gridlock. Federal infrastructure proposals in the trillion-dollar range to finance modernization appear to have faded. Fortunately, progress in water legislation benefiting Puget Sound has advanced with the help of the Washington congressional delegation. What can we do? We need to develop One Water Roadmap for the entire Puget Sound Region. With such a roadmap, water entrepreneurs and investors will have a guiding long term context for investing in water technologies and helping reduce the risks for early stage adopters in the water industry. Another important step is overcoming geographic, jurisdictional, organizational and regulatory siloes in managing water resources, This is a time to create a Water Innovation Collaboration around anchor institutions such as: Washington University, Center for Urban Waters, Puget Sound Partnership, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, EPA, NOAA, Corp of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, Urban Clean Water Innovation Partnership Zone, Washington State University, Washington Stormwater Center, Tacoma Environmental Services, Seattle Public Utilities, King County, Pierce County, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Readiness Acceleration & Innovation Network (RAIN), Aqualyst Water Accelerator, PureBlue, Ports of Tacoma and Seattle, Chamber of Commerce and many other organizations. The Water Innovation Collaboration places the One Water approach as the centerpiece for modernizing the water infrastructure. The strategic intent would be to design the world's leading water infrastructure right here in the Pacific Northwest. The quality of water and our economy will benefit immensely. The world will have proven examples of solutions to evaluate and adopt. And our beloved orca and salmon will thank us. Egils Milbergs is former executive director of the Washington Economic Development Commission and co-founder of PureBlue, a Seattle based non-profit organization accelerating water...Egils Milbergs

The vigil for Tahlequah, the mother orca who carried her dead calf around for days, is a message and a call to action. Scientists have concluded that a large part of the blame for the decline in orca population and related salmon runs lies in the water quality of Puget Sound—contaminants, toxic chemicals and noise. Healthy water means we must have a healthy water infrastructure.

The fact is our water infrastructure is under stress. It is aging and not keeping up with a fast-growing population, extreme weather events, waste discharges, stormwater runoff, new contaminants, vessel traffic, earthquake risks and cyberattacks. Our economic dynamism is also at stake. About one-third of Puget Sound economic output and jobs are water dependent. It is estimated that $23 billion of water infrastructure projects are on the books but financing this investment is unclear.

We are at an inflection point-- we pursue incremental improvements or begin to reimagine a new kind of water infrastructure. We should think, plan and manage water in all its forms as ONE WATER. The water infrastructure needs to be holistically managed and technology better aligned with the natural watershed and hydrological cycle.

Water should be treated as a resource rather than waste—zero discharge, recycled and used again and again.

High energy cost water treatment systems should be redesigned to be more efficient and even generate energy.

Nutrients should be recovered from wastewater and be a source of revenue (e.g. fertilizer).

Smaller and distributed water treatment systems boost resilience to extreme weather and disasters.

Rainwater should be managed where it lands through green infrastructure, rain gardens, pervious pavement.

Real time field sensors can help make predictive control decisions for water storage, treatment and flows.

Water DNA can be cheaply analyzed to detect harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxic algae and sources of contamination.

Urban vertical greenhouses can reduce water requirements by 90-95%.

What's holding us back? It turns out that innovation is difficult in the water sector and faces significant barriers.

Cost of failure is high. Water operators are inherently conservative in considering innovation and focus more on regulatory compliance, established practices and service reliability. There is little incentive to be an early adopter.

Legacy Constraints. Water infrastructure lasts a long time so opportunities to innovate do not emerge very often. The tendency is to extend the life of existing infrastructure.

Fragmented Data. An enormous volume of water data is collected by government agencies. However, the data is balkanized, difficult to access and non-interoperable, diminishing its utility.

Regulatory Risk. Water technologies can be stalled by multiple regulatory requirements, approval delays, litigation, adverse publicity or eventual stoppage. Regulations should encourage innovation and not be a barrier to it.

Workforce Gap. Water operators face a retirement wave and need to recruit a workforce that is technologically trained, sophisticated and savvy.

Legislative Gridlock. Federal infrastructure proposals in the trillion-dollar range to finance modernization appear to have faded. Fortunately, progress in water legislation benefiting Puget Sound has advanced with the help of the Washington congressional delegation.

What can we do? We need to develop One Water Roadmap for the entire Puget Sound Region. With such a roadmap, water entrepreneurs and investors will have a guiding long term context for investing in water technologies and helping reduce the risks for early stage adopters in the water industry.

Another important step is overcoming geographic, jurisdictional, organizational and regulatory siloes in managing water resources, This is a time to create a Water Innovation Collaboration around anchor institutions such as: Washington University, Center for Urban Waters, Puget Sound Partnership, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, EPA, NOAA, Corp of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, Urban Clean Water Innovation Partnership Zone, Washington State University, Washington Stormwater Center, Tacoma Environmental Services, Seattle Public Utilities, King County, Pierce County, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Readiness Acceleration & Innovation Network (RAIN), Aqualyst Water Accelerator, PureBlue, Ports of Tacoma and Seattle, Chamber of Commerce and many other organizations.

The Water Innovation Collaboration places the One Water approach as the centerpiece for modernizing the water infrastructure. The strategic intent would be to design the world's leading water infrastructure right here in the Pacific Northwest. The quality of water and our economy will benefit immensely. The world will have proven examples of solutions to evaluate and adopt. And our beloved orca and salmon will thank us.

Egils Milbergs is former executive director of the Washington Economic Development Commission and co-founder of PureBlue, a Seattle based non-profit organization accelerating water innovation and manager of the Aqualyst Accelerator.

Google’s North America Tech Hub Networktag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b8d2cb4d81970c2017-12-30T17:17:13-05:002017-12-30T17:17:13-05:00Google for Entrepreneurs partners with ten tech hubs around North America to help local startup communities thrive. The tech hubs are located in Minneapolis, Chicago, Waterloo, Nashville, Durham, Denver, Detroit, Montreal, San Francisco, Austin, and Mexico City. These partners are technology leaders in their community and a natural home for Google communities like Google Developer Groups and Google Business Groups. Tech hubs provide a venue for developers and the wider tech community to engage directly with companies and training partners like Google. They host a range of events, workshops, and provide coworking space for entrepreneurs. Google for Entrepreneurs enables tech hubs by providing them with technical content, business tools, and infrastructure upgrades so that they can support increasing demand from developers and startups. This year, ten selected startups from each of these spaces will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to an audience of Silicon Valley investors as part of our Demo Day. The North America Tech Hub Network is: American Underground: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina The Capital Factory: Austin, Texas The Entrepreneur Center: Nashville, Tennessee COCO: Minneapolis, Minnesota Communitech: Waterloo, Ontario Galvanize: Denver, Colorado & San Francisco, California Grand Circus: Detroit, Michigan Notman House: Montreal, Quebec 1871: Chicago, Illinois Centraal: Mexico City, Mexico TechSquare Labs: Atlanta, GeorgiaEgils Milbergs

Google for Entrepreneurs partners with ten tech hubs around North America to help local startup communities thrive. The tech hubs are located in Minneapolis, Chicago, Waterloo, Nashville, Durham, Denver, Detroit, Montreal, San Francisco, Austin, and Mexico City. These partners are technology leaders in their community and a natural home for Google communities like Google Developer Groups and Google Business Groups. Tech hubs provide a venue for developers and the wider tech community to engage directly with companies and training partners like Google. They host a range of events, workshops, and provide coworking space for entrepreneurs. Google for Entrepreneurs enables tech hubs by providing them with technical content, business tools, and infrastructure upgrades so that they can support increasing demand from developers and startups. This year, ten selected startups from each of these spaces will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to an audience of Silicon Valley investors as part of our Demo Day.

The Need for Water Innovationtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b7c8c80fb8970b2017-01-13T12:23:01-05:002017-01-13T12:24:58-05:00READ FULL REPORT The U.S. Council on Competitiveness' latest sector study, co-led by A.O. Smith Corporation and Marquette University, reveals challenges faced by water users in the manufacturing sector, where nearly half of industry water consumption is attributed. Leverage: Water and Manufacturing found that to meet increasing water demand, innovation in infrastructure, technology, investment and talent are needed to overcome challenges resulting from urbanization and population growth. The Council, through its Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness Partnership (EMCP), partnered with Marquette and A. O. Smith to hold the initial sector study dialogue on water & manufacturing on February 16, 2016 at Marquette. The dialogue gathered over 50 national leaders and water experts from all sectors of the economy to discuss the important issues around water and manufacturing.Egils Milbergs

READ FULL REPORT

The U.S. Council on Competitiveness' latest sector study, co-led by A.O. Smith Corporation and Marquette University, reveals challenges faced by water users in the manufacturing sector, where nearly half of industry water consumption is attributed. Leverage: Water and Manufacturing found that to meet increasing water demand, innovation in infrastructure, technology, investment and talent are needed to overcome challenges resulting from urbanization and population growth. The Council, through its Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness Partnership (EMCP), partnered with Marquette and A. O. Smith to hold the initial sector study dialogue on water & manufacturing on February 16, 2016 at Marquette. The dialogue gathered over 50 national leaders and water experts from all sectors of the economy to discuss the important issues around water and manufacturing.

The Global Water Crisis: An Opportunity for Innovation and Job Creation. tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201bb090269cc970d2016-05-18T17:30:11-04:002016-05-18T17:30:11-04:00YOUR ARE INVITED to a special networking and dinner program at the Rainier Club in Seattle on the looming global water crisis. We may be able to survive without oil, but not without water. Water is an essential ingredient for life on this planet—yet in places it is too abundant or too scarce. More than a billion individuals—one in seven people on the planet—lack access to safe drinking water and risk life-threatening illnesses. Water resources in Washington state are impacted by climate change, drought, diminished salmon runs, flooding, stormwater runoff and lead contamination. The opportunity to innovate to meet these challenges is here. Cities like Milwaukee have made clean water technologies a centerpiece of their global marketing, entrepreneurship and job creation strategies. Come hear from key business, government and non-profit leaders as they discuss strategies for Washington state unleashing innovation and moving towards a future of CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE WATER. Speakers and panelists include: Ray Hoffman, Director of Seattle Public Utilities Rob Duff, Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Inslee on natural resource and environmental issues Ryan Vogel, Executive Director of Pure Blue Clean Water Innovation Initiative and founder of Pure Blue Tech, Inc. Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation, Pure Blue Water Alliance Chair and former Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Commission, will be moderator of the event. To request a reservation for this event, please contact the Rainier Club in Seattle: Reservations Services directly at 206.296.6870 or rsvp@therainierclub.com Cost of event is $47 including a two course dinner with wine service. Rainier Club Address: 820 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 Website Directions Phone: (206) 296-6848Egils Milbergs

YOUR ARE INVITED to a special networking and dinner program at the Rainier Club in Seattle on the looming global water crisis. We may be able to survive without oil, but not without water. Water is an essential ingredient for life on this planet—yet in places it is too abundant or too scarce. More than a billion individuals—one in seven people on the planet—lack access to safe drinking water and risk life-threatening illnesses. Water resources in Washington state are impacted by climate change, drought, diminished salmon runs, flooding, stormwater runoff and lead contamination. The opportunity to innovate to meet these challenges is here. Cities like Milwaukee have made clean water technologies a centerpiece of their global marketing, entrepreneurship and job creation strategies. Come hear from key business, government and non-profit leaders as they discuss strategies for Washington state unleashing innovation and moving towards a future of CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE WATER. Speakers and panelists include:

Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation, Pure Blue Water Alliance Chair and former Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Commission, will be moderator of the event.

To request a reservation for this event, please contact the Rainier Club in Seattle: Reservations Services directly at 206.296.6870or rsvp@therainierclub.comCost of event is $47 including a two course dinner with wine service.

More Precious than Oil: A Call to Action for Innovative Water Resource Management. Join Us Wednesday, May 25, 5:30 PM, Rainier Club, Seattletag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b8d1e05217970c2016-05-09T02:12:15-04:002016-05-09T02:12:15-04:00We may be able to survive without oil, but not without water. That's why climate change, drought, salmon runs, flooding, stormwater and lead contamination are in the news and have become such hot button issues. No matter how you look at it, something must be done. Come hear from key business, government and non-profit leaders as they discuss strategies for unleashing innovation and moving towards a future of CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE WATER. Speakers and panelists include: Ray Hoffman, Director of Seattle Public Utilities Rob Duff, Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Inslee on natural resource and environmental issues Ryan Vogel, Executive Director of Pure Blue Clean Water Innovation Initiative and founder of Pure Blue Tech, Inc. Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and former Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Commission, will be moderator of the event. To request a reservation for this event, please contact the Rainier Club in Seattle: Reservations Services directly at 206.296.6870. Cost of event is $47 including a two course dinner with wine service.Egils Milbergs

We may be able to survive without oil, but not without water. That's why climate change, drought, salmon runs, flooding, stormwater and lead contamination are in the news and have become such hot button issues. No matter how you look at it, something must be done. Come hear from key business, government and non-profit leaders as they discuss strategies for unleashing innovation and moving towards a future of CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE WATER. Speakers and panelists include:

Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and former Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Commission, will be moderator of the event.

To request a reservation for this event, please contact the Rainier Club in Seattle: Reservations Services directly at 206.296.6870. Cost of event is $47 including a two course dinner with wine service.

Clean Water Innovation Initiative unveils commitments at White House Water Summittag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201bb08cf3f7b970d2016-03-27T20:49:29-04:002016-03-27T20:49:29-04:00The partnership team behind the Clean Water Innovation Initiative (CWII) unveiled their commitment to build an entrepreneurial infrastructure and national virtual network to help the nation address water issues during the White House Water Summit held in Washington DC. The Clean Water Innovation Initiative, along with its 17 founding business, government, non-profit, and research partners, is launching an EPA Water Innovation Cluster to serve the Puget Sound region in Washington. The Cluster will include three major components: (1) a physical technology-development accelerator; (2) an early (seed) stage grant/loan/equity fund to finance entrepreneurial start-ups; and (3) a national virtual network of water-industry incubators and clusters. Ryan Vogel, executive director of CWII announced that the Initiative will, over the next three years, work with its 30 vertically and horizontally integrated water-industry partners to support 10 companies through the accelerator and provide $2 million in seed funding. Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and Partnership Director for the CWII was invited by White House organizers to represent the CWII at the Water Summit. The Summit speakers and panelists focused on raising awareness of water issues and potential solutions in the United States, and to catalyze ideas and actions to help build a sustainable and secure water future through innovative science and technology. The administration announced initiatives aimed at encouraging more investments in water infrastructure, improving water data and boosting technologies that can help ensure availability and quality of regional water supply. Check out the Water Summit fact sheet, as well as the document detailing the more than 150 announcements made in support of the event. Here is the video footage of the entire plenary.Egils Milbergs

The partnership team behind the Clean Water Innovation Initiative (CWII) unveiled their commitment to build an entrepreneurial infrastructure and national virtual network to help the nation address water issues during the White House Water Summit held in Washington DC.

The Clean Water Innovation Initiative, along with its 17 founding business, government, non-profit, and research partners, is launching an EPA Water Innovation Cluster to serve the Puget Sound region in Washington. The Cluster will include three major components:

(1) a physical technology-development accelerator;

(2) an early (seed) stage grant/loan/equity fund to finance entrepreneurial start-ups; and

(3) a national virtual network of water-industry incubators and clusters.

Ryan Vogel, executive director of CWII announced that the Initiative will, over the next three years, work with its 30 vertically and horizontally integrated water-industry partners to support 10 companies through the accelerator and provide $2 million in seed funding.

Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and Partnership Director for the CWII was invited by White House organizers to represent the CWII at the Water Summit.

The Summit speakers and panelists focused on raising awareness of water issues and potential solutions in the United States, and to catalyze ideas and actions to help build a sustainable and secure water future through innovative science and technology. The administration announced initiatives aimed at encouraging more investments in water infrastructure, improving water data and boosting technologies that can help ensure availability and quality of regional water supply. Check out the Water Summit fact sheet, as well as the document detailing the more than 150 announcements made in support of the event. Here is the video footage of the entire plenary.

On February 24 diverse leaders from Puget Sound cities and towns are convening to map the strategic role of urban green infrastructure and the region's clean water future. Summit goals: 1) Understand the full breadth of current Green Infrastructure work and organizational strengths across .edu, .org, .com, and .gov sectors. 2) Identify gaps and catalyze strategic partnerships to: Grow a powerful Green Infrastructure coalition and clean water constituency for Puget Sound; Inspire innovative and intersectional green solutions to stormwater pollution; Envision long-term funding approaches that are on par with the scale of the challenge. Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation is giving the Luncheon keynote address: What is Innovation? What Drives Innovation? Links to the Summit agenda and speaker bios:

Initiative Launched to Accelerate the Clean Water Innovation Cluster in Puget Soundtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201bb08b9b087970d2016-02-12T19:35:23-05:002016-02-12T19:35:23-05:00The Puget Sound Region is home to a dynamic innovation ecosystem that has spawned globally competitive industry clusters in fields as diverse as aerospace (Boeing), e-commerce (Amazon), software (Microsoft), retail (Costco) and coffee (Starbucks). The Clean Water Innovation Initiative along with its 17 founding business, government, non-profit, and research partners is launching a unique public private strategy to jump start the Puget Sound region as a dynamic industry cluster for water innovation. The initiative will take on some of the world's toughest water challenges, such as desalinization, stormwater runoff, aging water distribution systems, energy efficiency, drought management, etc. The initiative will support entrepreneurial project teams to reduce the technical and commercial risk for clean water innovation, accelerate the time to market and conserve resources required to develop and commercialize solutions. Three interrelated components are involved with the initiative: 1. Water Nexus: A physical proof of concept center and technology development accelerator providing entrepreneurs the infrastructure and resources to design, prototype, test clean water products, processes and services. 2. Water Alliance: A virtual cloud based network of water industry incubators and clusters across the US connecting the Puget Sound to the needs of end-users, research assets, intellectual property, best practices, complimentary technologies and beta sites for evaluating first generation prototypes and solutions. 3. Water Innovation Fund: An early (seed) stage grant/loan/equity fund to finance entrepreneurial start-ups through the critical "valley of death" between concept, workable prototype, commercial pilot, and first sales. Stay tuned for more details about the Innovation Alliance and the Clean Water Innovation Initiative. Contact: Egils Milbergs at egils@accinnov.comEgils Milbergs

The Puget Sound Region is home to a dynamic innovation ecosystem that has spawned globally competitive industry clusters in fields as diverse as aerospace (Boeing), e-commerce (Amazon), software (Microsoft), retail (Costco) and coffee (Starbucks). The Clean Water Innovation Initiative along with its 17 founding business, government, non-profit, and research partners is launching a unique public private strategy to jump start the Puget Sound region as a dynamic industry cluster for water innovation. The initiative will take on some of the world's toughest water challenges, such as desalinization, stormwater runoff, aging water distribution systems, energy efficiency, drought management, etc. The initiative will support entrepreneurial project teams to reduce the technical and commercial risk for clean water innovation, accelerate the time to market and conserve resources required to develop and commercialize solutions. Three interrelated components are involved with the initiative:

1.Water Nexus: A physical proof of concept center and technology development accelerator providing entrepreneurs the infrastructure and resources to design, prototype, test clean water products, processes and services.

2.Water Alliance: A virtual cloud based network of water industry incubators and clusters across the US connecting the Puget Sound to the needs of end-users, research assets, intellectual property, best practices, complimentary technologies and beta sites for evaluating first generation prototypes and solutions.

3.Water Innovation Fund: An early (seed) stage grant/loan/equity fund to finance entrepreneurial start-ups through the critical "valley of death" between concept, workable prototype, commercial pilot, and first sales.

Stay tuned for more details about the Innovation Alliance and the Clean Water Innovation Initiative. Contact: Egils Milbergs at egils@accinnov.com

Water Innovation Strategy Announced by Administrationtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b8d185c074970c2015-12-17T20:26:24-05:002015-12-17T20:26:24-05:00Water Innovation Strategy Announced by Administration The Obama Administration has announced a new public-private water innovation strategy. This strategy includes a two-part approach led by Federal agencies to address the impacts of climate change on the use and supply of our nation's water resources and calls on private sector and other stakeholder groups to help significantly scale up research and investment in water efficiency solutions. The Administration's new water innovation strategy calls for: Boosting water sustainability and long-term water security by increasing use of water-efficient and -reuse technologies. The implicit goal is to reduce water usage by 33 percent and reduce nation's total CO2 emissions by about 1.5 percent annually. Promoting and investing in breakthrough research and development (R&D) that will reduce the price, energy costs, and emissions requirements of new water supply technology to achieve "pipe parity" in the next decade. The technical targets include reducing the cost by four times, reducing electricity usage by three times, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by two times. To kick-start this strategy and set up the United States as a leader on the path towards greater water efficiency and improved water technologies the Administration announced the following: Released a new report that lays out the water innovation strategy in greater detail and proposes strategies for addressing this challenge in the decades ahead. Hosted a Roundtable on Water Innovation today to engage with industry and public leaders to start building broader consensus on a path forward.. Called for commitments from private sector and stakeholder groups to advance innovation and technology for potential solutions to water issues so that sufficient water is available when and where we need it. On March 22, 2016, the United Nation's World Water Day, the Administration will bring representatives from Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal governments together with private sector and other stakeholder groups to the White House to discuss ways in which the public-private water innovation strategy is making progress. For more information HERE. Launching a new Center for Natural Resources Investment at the Department of the Interior, which will promote increased private investment in water infrastructure and facilitate locally-led water exchange agreements in the western United States. Announced a new funding opportunity for over $20 million in water and energy efficiency grants through the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program at the Department of the Interior. Launched an interactive website tool at the Department of the Interior to shed light on the ongoing drought in the Colorado River basin. Announced that the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is accepting applications for research, laboratory studies, and pilot projects that target increasing the usable supply of water in the United States. More detail on the overall strategy and set of initiatives: link HERE.Egils Milbergs

Water Innovation Strategy Announced by Administration

The Obama Administration has announced a new public-private water innovation strategy. This strategy includes a two-part approach led by Federal agencies to address the impacts of climate change on the use and supply of our nation's water resources and calls on private sector and other stakeholder groups to help significantly scale up research and investment in water efficiency solutions. The Administration's new water innovation strategy calls for:

Boosting water sustainability and long-term water security by increasing use of water-efficient and -reuse technologies. The implicit goal is to reduce water usage by 33 percent and reduce nation's total CO2 emissions by about 1.5 percent annually.

Promoting and investing in breakthrough research and development (R&D) that will reduce the price, energy costs, and emissions requirements of new water supply technology to achieve "pipe parity" in the next decade. The technical targets include reducing the cost by four times, reducing electricity usage by three times, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by two times.

To kick-start this strategy and set up the United States as a leader on the path towards greater water efficiency and improved water technologies the Administration announced the following:

Released a new reportthat lays out the water innovation strategy in greater detail and proposes strategies for addressing this challenge in the decades ahead.

Called for commitments from private sector and stakeholder groups to advance innovation and technology for potential solutions to water issues so that sufficient water is available when and where we need it. On March 22, 2016, the United Nation's World Water Day, the Administration will bring representatives from Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal governments together with private sector and other stakeholder groups to the White House to discuss ways in which the public-private water innovation strategy is making progress. For more information HERE.

Launching a new Center for Natural Resources Investment at the Department of the Interior, which will promote increased private investment in water infrastructure and facilitate locally-led water exchange agreements in the western United States.

Announced a new funding opportunity for over $20 million in water and energy efficiency grants through the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program at the Department of the Interior.

Launched an interactive website tool at the Department of the Interior to shed light on the ongoing drought in the Colorado River basin.

Announced that the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is acceptingapplications for research, laboratory studies, and pilot projects that target increasing the usable supply of water in the United States.

tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b7c7fbedab970b2015-12-17T19:36:43-05:002015-12-17T19:36:43-05:00Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today $420,000 in Virginia Community Business Launch (CBL) grants for the towns of Pulaski, Vinton, Marion and Strasburg, as well as the cities of Lynchburg, Petersburg and Martinsville. CBL is designed to assist communities in taking a systems approach to defining and pursuing an asset-based small business development strategy. Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “Through the Community Business Launch program, we are helping our communities develop a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem where community-based businesses will continue to grow and thrive. In order to grow, diversify and build a new Virginia economy, we must focus on small business development in communities across the Commonwealth.” The CBL program starts with a community’s unique vision for its future and then uses a local business competition to find and foster the entrepreneurs that connect with that vision. CBL provides the tools to effectively prepare multiple entrepreneurs to operate successful businesses in a downtown or neighborhood commercial district and allow them to compete for funding to launch their new endeavor. - See more at: http://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=13720#sthash.RbfbYE3E.dpufEgils Milbergs

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today $420,000 in Virginia Community Business Launch (CBL) grants for the towns of Pulaski, Vinton, Marion and Strasburg, as well as the cities of Lynchburg, Petersburg and Martinsville. CBL is designed to assist communities in taking a systems approach to defining and pursuing an asset-based small business development strategy.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “Through the Community Business Launch program, we are helping our communities develop a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem where community-based businesses will continue to grow and thrive. In order to grow, diversify and build a new Virginia economy, we must focus on small business development in communities across the Commonwealth.”

The CBL program starts with a community’s unique vision for its future and then uses a local business competition to find and foster the entrepreneurs that connect with that vision. CBL provides the tools to effectively prepare multiple entrepreneurs to operate successful businesses in a downtown or neighborhood commercial district and allow them to compete for funding to launch their new endeavor.
- See more at: http://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=13720#sthash.RbfbYE3E.dpuf

Innovation Vouchers in Rhode Islandtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201bb089a2af5970d2015-12-06T19:22:35-05:002015-12-06T19:22:35-05:00The Innovation Voucher program lets businesses unlock R&D capacity in Rhode Island. Rhode Island enterprises with fewer than 500 employees can receive grants of up to $50,000 to fund R&D assistance from a Rhode Island university, research center or medical center. Download the application to apply now. The initial application deadline is January 5, 2016. The Commerce Corporation will begin reviewing and advancing applications upon receipt. Applications submitted after January 5, 2016 may not be reviewed until the Commerce Corporation has completed its consideration of the applications submitted by that deadline. Contact For more information, please contact Rachel Myroniuk, Innovation Program, Coordinator, at the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. References Innovation Vouchers Regulations Innovation Initiative Act, R.I.G.L. § 42-64.28 Summary CardEgils Milbergs

The Innovation Voucher program lets businesses unlock R&D capacity in Rhode Island. Rhode Island enterprises with fewer than 500 employees can receive grants of up to $50,000 to fund R&D assistance from a Rhode Island university, research center or medical center.

Download the application to apply now. The initial application deadline is January 5, 2016. The Commerce Corporation will begin reviewing and advancing applications upon receipt. Applications submitted after January 5, 2016 may not be reviewed until the Commerce Corporation has completed its consideration of the applications submitted by that deadline.Contact

The Innovation Imperative—New OECD Reporttag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201bb0883b1fd970d2015-10-19T02:20:54-04:002015-10-19T02:20:54-04:00The OECD has published a revised version of its Innovation Strategy – The Innovation Imperative: Contributing to Productivity, Growth and Well-Being. The report calls on governments to stop policies that unduly favor incumbents, given that young firms are crucial in driving innovation, job creation and growth. With the digital economy and the sharing economy changing the business landscape by allowing new ideas and business models to emerge, it is more urgent than ever to give young firms the means to experiment with new technologies and organizational models. The report also calls on policy makers to think long-term, to provide more grants and fewer tax incentives, and to learn from experience through greater monitoring and evaluation. Four key areas of policy are discussed: Skilled workforce that can generate new ideas and technologies, implement them and bring them to the market. Sound business envronoment that encourages investment in technology and in knowledge-based capital that enables innovative firms to experiment with new ideas, technologies and business models. Strong and efficient system for knowledge creation and diffusion that invests in the systematic pursuit of fundamental knowledge and that diffuses knowledge throughout society. Specific innovation policies to tackle a range of barriers to innovation and entrepreneurial activity.Egils Milbergs

The OECD has published a revised version of its Innovation Strategy – The Innovation Imperative: Contributing to Productivity, Growth and Well-Being. The report calls on governments to stop policies that unduly favor incumbents, given that young firms are crucial in driving innovation, job creation and growth. With the digital economy and the sharing economy changing the business landscape by allowing new ideas and business models to emerge, it is more urgent than ever to give young firms the means to experiment with new technologies and organizational models. The report also calls on policy makers to think long-term, to provide more grants and fewer tax incentives, and to learn from experience through greater monitoring and evaluation. Four key areas of policy are discussed:

Skilled workforce that can generate new ideas and technologies, implement them and bring them to the market.

Sound business envronoment that encourages investment in technology and in knowledge-based capital that enables innovative firms to experiment with new ideas, technologies and business models.

Strong and efficient system for knowledge creation and diffusion that invests in the systematic pursuit of fundamental knowledge and that diffuses knowledge throughout society.

Specific innovation policies to tackle a range of barriers to innovation and entrepreneurial activity.

Egils Milbergs takes the reins at the Center for Accelerating Innovationtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b7c7dd3327970b2015-10-13T16:48:14-04:002015-12-05T02:46:19-05:00Announcing my new challenge to reboot the Center for Accelerating Innovation as full time president and CEO. The focus is on powering the nation's future competitiveness and innovation ecosystems. Check out our plans, projects and services at www.accinnov.com . For now, please use the coordinates below to stay in touch. Egils Milbergs Center for Accelerating Innovation egils@accinnov.com www.accinnov.com O: 206.790.7435 M: 202-256-5506Egils Milbergs

Announcing my new challenge to reboot the Center for Accelerating Innovation as full time president and CEO. The focus is on powering the nation's future competitiveness and innovation ecosystems. Check out our plans, projects and services at www.accinnov.com . For now, please use the coordinates below to stay in touch.

Converge@Seattle Innovation Summit Rocks with Insight and Inspiration. tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b7c70ecb1e970b2014-11-24T13:42:20-05:002014-11-24T13:42:20-05:00Converge@Seattle Pacific Northwest Innovation Summit 2014 was a new kind of conference experience. And the event turned out to be fantastic, inspiring and compelling. We witnessed incredibly powerful lightning talks, and a thunderstorm of conversations and commitments. The organizers of the Summit were inspired by the level of professionalism, heart and mind that was shared. ""Loved the discussions!" "This was so inspiring!" "The format was terrific." "Just the environment was conducive to creativity." "I could have listened to today's speakers for hours!" "The panelists were great." Converge Innovation Summit was a second iteration and combination of the Pacific Innovation Summit 2012 and Women in Innovation Summit 2012 – now in partnership with The Pacific Northwest Economic Region, PNWER. This partnership gave a wonderful reach to people who probably would not have met and come together otherwise. We loved creating this new "convergence zone", and were so delighted it was kicked off to a great start with Jacob Zimmerman & His Pals. We will continue to explore all the impactful presentations and bring those to you in forms of blogs, postings and video. None of the magic of the day would not have been possible without the commitment of our extraordinary sponsors: Alaska Airlines, Washington Business Alliance, DeshLaw, Renton Technical College, dbCreative Services Group, Rainmakers TV, Automobili Lamborghini – and the organizing producers: Women in Innovation, Center for Accelerating Innovation, Cisco Systems and Jim Kastama & Associates. And the very delighted winner of the Alaska Airline's first class tickets was Sean O'Leary, President and Managing Director of Arctic Wolf Company, marketer of wild Alaskan salmon. We wish him happy travels! We had terrific help throughout the day from many, many people like our photographer Tina Marable, SaraJoy Pond of Conveners.com who stepped in to manage the PowerPoint slides, and the graphic facilitator Lori Rock of BigIdeaZoo. Marilyn Schoeman provided us with "Greenlight" tips for the best brainstorming outcomes. We are also grateful to designer and branding expert Margaret Spencer who designed our logo and helped us throughout the day in many different ways. Many organizations lent their help to spread the word to their members: Center for Advanced Manufacturing CAMPS, West Sound Technology Association WSTA, Washington Technology Industry Association WTIA, WBBA, WSU, UW and BizEnrich. We encourage you to stay in touch with us, continue the conversation by sharing your stories: What was your favorite part of the day? What most inspired you? What are you going to do? How are you keeping the momentum going? You can share your stories, pictures and videos from the day on Facebook and Twitter. With gratitude, Egils Milbergs, Kristiina Hiukka, Sharon Wong and Jim Kastama Converge@Seattle Co-Leaders and ProducersEgils Milbergs

Converge@Seattle Pacific Northwest Innovation Summit 2014 was a new kind of conference experience. And the event turned out to be fantastic, inspiring and compelling. We witnessed incredibly powerful lightning talks, and a thunderstorm of conversations and commitments. The organizers of the Summit were inspired by the level of professionalism, heart and mind that was shared.

""Loved the discussions!" "This was so inspiring!" "The format was terrific." "Just the environment was conducive to creativity." "I could have listened to today's speakers for hours!" "The panelists were great."

Converge Innovation Summit was a second iteration and combination of the Pacific Innovation Summit 2012 and Women in Innovation Summit 2012 – now in partnership with The Pacific Northwest Economic Region, PNWER. This partnership gave a wonderful reach to people who probably would not have met and come together otherwise. We loved creating this new "convergence zone", and were so delighted it was kicked off to a great start with Jacob Zimmerman & His Pals. We will continue to explore all the impactful presentations and bring those to you in forms of blogs, postings and video.

We had terrific help throughout the day from many, many people like our photographer Tina Marable, SaraJoy Pond of Conveners.com who stepped in to manage the PowerPoint slides, and the graphic facilitator Lori Rock of BigIdeaZoo. Marilyn Schoeman provided us with "Greenlight" tips for the best brainstorming outcomes. We are also grateful to designer and branding expert Margaret Spencer who designed our logo and helped us throughout the day in many different ways.

Many organizations lent their help to spread the word to their members: Center for Advanced Manufacturing CAMPS, West Sound Technology Association WSTA, Washington Technology Industry Association WTIA, WBBA, WSU, UW and BizEnrich.

We encourage you to stay in touch with us, continue the conversation by sharing your stories: What was your favorite part of the day? What most inspired you? What are you going to do? How are you keeping the momentum going? You can share your stories, pictures and videos from the day on Facebook and Twitter.

With gratitude,

Egils Milbergs, Kristiina Hiukka, Sharon Wong and Jim Kastama

Converge@Seattle Co-Leaders and Producers

Converge@Seattletag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201b8d07b3c8a970c2014-10-10T20:05:52-04:002014-10-10T20:11:46-04:00You are invited! Converge@Seattle 2014 wants to have your voice, perspective, and participation to define what's next for the Pacific Northwest Innovation Ecosystem. The 2014 Pacific Northwest Innovation Summit is convening November 20 at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle. The agenda is organized under four major themes to address some big questions: Register NOW Digital Economy: How do we thrive in an increasingly connected world? Manufacturing Renaissance: What role will humans play in the next generation of manufacturing? Higher Education: What must higher education do to adapt to tomorrow's realities? Women in Innovation: How are women changing the innovation paradigm? It will be a day of thought provoking ideas, debate and interactive activities. Expert speakers will stimulate discussion. Small group conversations will unlock insights and high impact strategies for expanding the opportunities, prosperity and sustainability of the Pacific Northwest. You will be part of unique group joined together for larger purposes and becoming skilled at acting strategically across regional boundaries. Plenty of time is set aside to problem-solve. The summit is being held in conjunction with the PNWER 2014 Economic Leadership Forum with public officials, business executives, scholars, educators, economists, and entrepreneurs from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories. Our major sponsors include Alaska Airlines, Washington Business Alliance and Lamborghini (- when you come, you might even get a close up of their latest carbon fiber invention). A limited number of seats available at the Hyatt Olive 8. So please, check out it out, fit the day into your schedule and do not delay – register now! We look forward to the conversation with you. LEARN MORE Register HereEgils Milbergs

The agenda is organized under four major themes to address some big questions: Register NOW

Digital Economy: How do we thrive in an increasingly connected world?

Manufacturing Renaissance: What role will humans play in the next generation of manufacturing?

Higher Education: What must higher education do to adapt to tomorrow's realities?

Women in Innovation: How are women changing the innovation paradigm?

It will be a day of thought provoking ideas, debate and interactive activities. Expert speakers will stimulate discussion. Small group conversations will unlock insights and high impact strategies for expanding the opportunities, prosperity and sustainability of the Pacific Northwest. You will be part of unique group joined together for larger purposes and becoming skilled at acting strategically across regional boundaries. Plenty of time is set aside to problem-solve.

The summit is being held in conjunction with the PNWER 2014 Economic Leadership Forum with public officials, business executives, scholars, educators, economists, and entrepreneurs from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories.

Our major sponsors include Alaska Airlines, Washington Business Alliance and Lamborghini (- when you come, you might even get a close up of their latest carbon fiber invention).A limited number of seats available at the Hyatt Olive 8. So please, check out it out, fit the day into your schedule and do not delay – register now! We look forward to the conversation with you.

The water field is experiencing unprecedented change and unpredictability. Learn what's next in clean water innovation, regulations, resource recovery and economic development in the face of drinking water emergencies, climate change, extreme weather, stormwater events and natural disasters. The Washington Business Alliance cordially invites you to a special half-day program at 7:30 am – 12:15 pm, Wednesday, October 15 as part of the Wellspring 2014 Conference in Tacoma, Washington.

Join the discussion with industry experts on whether regulations are driving or hindering clean water innovation. Find out about a unique strategy that applies lean design principles to stormwater management, permitting and regulations. Discussants include:

The creation of a national network of water innovation clusters will be the topic of a second panel. Cluster leaders from Washington, Ohio, Massachusetts, Oregon and Arizona will give insider perspectives on how water collaboration models can drive regional economic growth, exports and job creation. Discussants include:

You may be interested to attend the entire two day conference October 14 and 15. Visit Wellspring2014 for more information, agenda, speakers and registration.Thank you,David Giuliani, Board ChairWashington Business Alliance

What state is winning the innovation race?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201bb078a29ec970d2014-09-22T16:17:53-04:002014-09-22T16:26:42-04:00You are invited to join with fellow business, research, education and government leaders in learning about where Washington stands in the National Innovation System. Dr. Rob Atkinson, author of Innovation Economics and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will give his analysis on what it will take for Washington to succeed. He will provide an update on his New Economy Index Report for 2014 and dissect where Washington stands in the 50 state race for innovation excellence. We hope you can attend. Register now at link below: Connecting Washington State to the National Innovation System Thursday, September 25, 2014 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM Breakfast will be served! World Trade Center Seattle 2200 Alaskan Way, 4th Floor Seattle, WA 98121 The event will also include remarks and reactions from:: Congressman Derek Kilmer – key member of US House Committee on Science, Space & Technology – update on the Federal congressional scene. David Giuliani – update on the Washington Business Alliance and PLAN Washington Egils Milbergs – former Executive Director of Washington Economic Development Commission – panel moderator Anson Fatland, Associate Vice President for Economic Development, Washington State University Randy Gardiner, CEO and President, RedDOT Fred Holt, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Center for Commercialization, University of Washington Jim Kastama, former chair, WA Senate Committee for Economic Development, Trade and Innovation Margaret McCormick, CEO and Director, Matrix Genetics Hope you can make it. It will be full of insights and a great networking opportunity,Egils Milbergs

You are invited to join with fellow business, research, education and government leaders in learning about where Washington stands in the National Innovation System. Dr. Rob Atkinson, author of Innovation Economics and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will give his analysis on what it will take for Washington to succeed. He will provide an update on his New Economy Index Report for 2014 and dissect where Washington stands in the 50 state race for innovation excellence. We hope you can attend.

Hope you can make it. It will be full of insights and a great networking opportunity,

Inventing the Future: PLAN Washington launchestag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451775169e201a3fcc9a906970b2014-03-01T14:19:53-05:002014-03-01T14:19:53-05:00PLAN Washington was launched by the Washington Business Alliance at a sold out event at K&L Gates in Seattle. PLAN Washington is an initiative of the statewide and non-partisan Washington Business Alliance co-founded by Sonicare toothbrush entrepreneur David Giuliani with retired Starbucks President Howard Behar. It reflects over two years of engagement with diverse business, government, and community stakeholders, and research into best practices by issue committees. The plan focuses on six key topic areas: economic development, education, environment, governance, health, and transportation. To download the entire PLAN go to: http://www.planwashington.org/plan-washington Egils Milbergs, founder of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Alliance commented: "PLAN Washington is a significant step forward in defining the role of business in shaping the future of Washington state. Businesses have relevant knowledge, performance systems and financial resources that can be applied in building consensus and strategic direction for economic prosperity, job creation and quality of life. We cannot rely solely on the political process and government to shape that consensus. The key to success is collaboration and optimizing the role of each stakeholder to focus on what each does best." Link to Puget Sound Business Journal article: http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2014/02/27/seattle-business-group-unveils-plan-to.html?page=allEgils Milbergs

PLAN Washington was launched by the Washington Business Alliance at a sold out event at K&L Gates in Seattle. PLAN Washington is an initiative of the statewide and non-partisan Washington Business Alliance co-founded by Sonicare toothbrush entrepreneur David Giuliani with retired Starbucks President Howard Behar. It reflects over two years of engagement with diverse business, government, and community stakeholders, and research into best practices by issue committees. The plan focuses on six key topic areas: economic development, education, environment, governance, health, and transportation.

Egils Milbergs, founder of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Alliance commented: "PLAN Washington is a significant step forward in defining the role of business in shaping the future of Washington state. Businesses have relevant knowledge, performance systems and financial resources that can be applied in building consensus and strategic direction for economic prosperity, job creation and quality of life. We cannot rely solely on the political process and government to shape that consensus. The key to success is collaboration and optimizing the role of each stakeholder to focus on what each does best."